Reclaiming the Fallen
by Cross Varia
Summary: AU: Ten years have passed since the breach, an event that caused the fall of Beacon, as well as many towns and cities in Vale. A new order for hunters is established and those who walk the path of the hunter endure trials which would make a normal human break. Blades break, armor shatters but the will lives on. In the darkest our, The light will always break through. Rated T - M
1. A knight and his Queen

A/N: Okay so I've been inactive for a variety of reasons mainly the lack of interwebs. So this is something I worked on probably since the middle of last year when I was kind of at the height of the Rwby spectrum. I loved the show and the characters so I worked on an AU of sorts. This is the result of a lot of tinkering with ideas and thoughts with the help of my brother Karu. Hope you guys enjoy, this story at the time of writing this already has five chapters ready but I will be posting about one every Wednesday or so. Hope you guys enjoy Reclaiming the Fallen.

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><p>Chp 1 – A Knight and his Queen<p>

The night was suffocating as a group of people ran through the burnt remains of a forest. Behind them strange creatures chased them. Among their ranks were wolves, boars, bears and even large snakes. The creatures sped up and continued to chase the group at least until one of the four members turned and stood still. He yelled to his team to continue running as he focused all the energy at his disposal and created a barrier which the beasts could not breach.

The other three continued running until one member tripped causing the other two to help that person up. The three nodded as they sped up as much as they could. The male member grit his teeth as the barrier finally shattered sending him backwards into the ground. He jumped up and reached behind his back drawing two blades which he connected together to form a dual ended halberd.

The shattered moon glowed beautifully as the man sliced through each of the beasts attacking him. His blade dancing in circles as he spun and twirled allowing the momentum to keep him moving and lowering the strain on his own body. With a shout, he launched the rest of the beasts back which gave him time to catch his breath. The massive snakes hissed as they charged forward, their fangs bared. With precise positioning he swung forward and sliced through the first snake easily but was knocked back by the second one.

By the time he regained his footing, the rest of the creatures had gotten back onto their feet. With renewed vigor, the beasts stalked the man before a flash of light caught the attention of the beasts which were then pelted by bolts of silver. A group of cloaked people had appeared and surrounded the horde before unleashing a series of attacks that annihilated it before it even tried to attack once again. The leader of the group stepped forward and held a hand out that the man took and pulled himself up. "It's rare to see a hunter. Even rarer to see a group." The man with the halberd nodded as he knelt down and took a deep breath.

"After Beacon fell, the remaining hunters scattered and started their own makeshift schools. The only exception being Ozpin. The coward gave up and started a regular school. Something about refusing to burden the next generation with our mistakes" He winced as the pain from the multiple cuts was starting to affect him. "Hng. Next time remind me not to face down a horde of Grimm." The leader of the large group chuckled as they removed their hood revealing a female face. She looked at the man then tossed him a pack of pills which he accepted. "Thanks"

She nodded and signaled her allies to disperse. "You should get going. Those soldier pills will replenish your aura but they only last about an hour before they wear off." The man stood up and nodded but he grabbed her wrist before she left. "Yes?"

"Tell me your name stranger. Need to know who saved my ass." She chuckled and turned to face him. Her golden eyes glowed in the dark and her black hair had a strange sheen in the moon light. "The name is Blake Belladonna." She then disappeared in a flash leaving a few words in the air. "Hopefully we meet again." The man nodded as he took one of the pills and felt his aura surge. "Got my behind saved by the white fang. Guess allies are everywhere." He crouched and separated his halberd, attaching both blades to his lower back. His first step caused the ground behind him to rise as he sped off in order to catch up to his team. He increased his jumping power as he jumped up into a tree and then continued to jump from tree to tree in order to keep his pace up.

His team was resting at a cabin which was at the edge of a deserted city. One of the members leaned against the wall and opened a device which had a map on it. "Once we cross this city, we'll be in the clear and back in the confines of the barrier." The person that spoke was wearing a set of armor which was covered by a long coat. His face was covered by a scarf but his blue eyes still managed to shine through an opening in the fabric.

Sitting on the ground was a woman who wore a long coat with the hood up. The shadows making her face unreadable. She was using a couple of tools to work on something attached to her wrist while the last person simply snored as he let his blond hair sway back in forth in the wind. A loud crash caused the two that were awake to turn and stare at their newest arrival. The man was tall and bulky, his dark brown skin helped him blend into his surroundings. His landing caused his dark red dreads to shift as he straightened himself with a small groan.

The woman looked up and stood. She walked over to the sleeping blonde and stomped on his stomach causing him to groan as he pushed himself up. "Ngh… Damnit queen. Didn't need to stomp on me." The crimson haired man simply motioned to begin moving once again. "Well I see Braun is still as stoic as ever." He groaned as he stretched and followed the red head's lead.

Their trek through the city was silent, too silent. They carefully moved through until they made it to a large wall. Braun grit his teeth as he put together his dual ended halberd once more. "Get ready ladies and gents. Grimm ahead!" He spun the weapon then channeled aura into the blade a second later he growled as he swung it forward slicing the wall clean in two. He quickly followed up and sliced once more creating a hole in the wall. Once the wall was down, a horde of Grimm rushed through. "I knew it. QUEEN! You're up!"

The woman dashed forward and pulled back her fist causing the device on her wrist to activate. "Haaa!" Once her fist crashed into the large slab of concrete, the stone exploded creating enough shrapnel to shred through a majority of the beasts. "Done." The leader nodded as they all stepped through the hole and finished clearing out the remainder of the Grimm.

"This city did a good job keeping the Grimm out but they isolated themselves in doing so." The red head put away his weapon once more and tossed a few pills to each of his teammates who took them and quickly ingested them. What they saw on the other side of the wall caused the group to shake their heads. In the streets lay nothing but bones and broken Grimm masks. "This must have happened right after the breach." He muttered a silent prayer then continued walking.

Their footsteps echoed as the silence was amplified by a factor of ten while carefully avoiding any of the bones of the departed. Queen raised her hood slightly as she sniffed the air. "Blood." The other three tensed and looked around. A few seconds later, a pack of Beowolves ran out only to get slaughtered by a man wearing a long coat, white armor and a mask. He sheathed his sword and looked at the other four. "Knight." She mumbled as the rest of the group sighed in relief.

Knight chuckled as he pulled up his hood and pointed forward. "Base is a mile down that path. Was just making the finishing touches on the stray Grimm and I see you took care of the door problem." Queen chuckled as she rubbed her head. "I mean good job and all but I think there was already an opening a block to the left." The whole team seemed to chuckle nervously at least until the masked man signaled them to follow him. "How'd the scouting mission go?"

The blonde male sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well we made it about a third of the way into the emerald forest. Once we passed the second boundary things got rough." Knight simply nodded as he continued to lead the way. The blonde on the other hand rubbed his stomach from where Queen stomped him. "Ended up on the wrong side of a Grimm nest. Braun and Queen took care of the small ones while me and Blue took on the big ones."

"How'd you guys get out?" The masked man held his arm out and silently drew his sword which he sunk into the ground. The sound of gears turning caught everyone's attention. After a few seconds, the wall next to them opened up, revealing an elevator. "Nice trick and we got out with some quick thinking from Queen." Knight nodded as they all stepped into the elevator and waited for it to go down. "She made her gauntlet overload itself for one attack. It collapsed enough of the trees to block the path and we got out. At least Queen, Blue and Me."

Braun sighed as he remembered being mauled by the horde of Grimm. "I kept the remainder from catching them." He rubbed his arms and winced from the pain at least until he began to use his aura to lessen the damage done. "Once I thought I was out, the White Fang bailed me out. One of their commanders, Blake Belladonna saved me." The blonde snickered which caused the red head to glare. "I would be quiet Sun. I wasn't the one who got stomped on the gut by Queen." The masked man laughed as they all stepped off of the elevator.

The room was dimly lit by makeshift lights and the interior looked like an old run-down apartment. Everyone seemed to relax once the steel doors slammed shut and sealed. The main noise in the room was buzzing from various electronic as well as a fly which was in the room. Knight sat down and pulled off his mask revealing stunning blue eyes and golden hair which leaned to one side. "Phew that mask is too constraining." Queen whistled at his appearance causing the man to flush as he nervously chuckled.

The one called blue removed his scarf and took a deep breath, tossing the cloth onto the table before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of red goggles which now rested on his blue hair. Once he did that, he moved on to removing the armor which caused him to sigh in relief as each heavy piece crashed on the floor. "Damn Braun I don't know how you walk in that thing. If I wasn't wearing this I wouldn't have tripped."

"Shut it Vasilias!" The deep voice replied causing the others to either laugh or chuckle at the blue haired man's pain. The sounds of food cooking caused the others to shoot up and run to the kitchen. The sight they saw was enough to make both Sun and Vasilias fall to the floor from laughter. The tall, bulky and threatening Braun was in the kitchen in a pink apron with white frills. He smirked as he continued cooking while the duo kept laughing. Queen on the other hand walked over and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "So you're making mine extra-large right?" She asked in a sultry tone causing the large man to shiver. "You know it Baby Girl." The response cause the hooded woman to jump for joy before going back to the other room.

Once Sun and Vasilias got back up they stared at Braun when it finally hit them. "Wait if she gets extra-large. What do we get?" The large man simply pointed to the smallest plates on the table which caused them to run over to the man and shake him. "You can't do that!" They yelled together at least until they heard a grunting noise. When they turned, they were staring at a pair of piercing red eyes hidden behind a mask and cowl. Sun looked closer and noticed that it was just Knight. "Geez Knight. That Grimm mask scares the living hell out of us."

The blonde chuckled as he led the other two to the dining room. Once they were all settled knight pulled back his cowl and set down a binder full of papers. "Arc doesn't want any of our information to fall to anyone that can hack so we've been keeping actual paper records." The others nodded as he opened the large binder and stopped at a specific page. "Okay as far as supplies go. We're fine on food, ammunition is below what we want it at. People we always need." He continued skimming through the page until he stopped and looked up at Queen. "Queen you'll be needed to report back to headquarters. I'll be leading the expeditions for now and your replacement will be on their way in a couple of days." She nodded and then smiled as Braun stepped into the room carrying a tray of bowls full of food.

The dark skinned man chuckled as he set down the largest plate in front of the hooded fighter who simply began eating the moment the food was on the table. He then set down food for the others one by one until he reached Sun and Vasilias. "Well if you and Neptune beg then I'll have mercy." Sun cursed under his breath before lowering his head. He then reached over and slammed Neptune's head into the table before they both yelled together. "I'm sorry! Please feed us!" Braun laughed and set down a bowl in front of each before he set down the last one and sat down as they began to eat.

A few hours had passed after their meal and they saw off Queen as she sped off towards the barrier and their headquarters. In the hideout, Knight stood and made sure his armor was well fastened before he opened his scroll and picking a point on the map. "I'm going to be securing another stronghold. Place is yours to do with as you wish." He picked up a messenger bag and slung it across his chest then hit the button that opened the door. "As far as operations here go. Clean up any stray Grimm and keep pushing this area out bit by bit. I'll be outside of the boundary so I'll try to keep daily tabs." The group nodded as Knight left.

Once he was outside, Knight ran towards the direction the four man squad had come from. "If the White Fang is there then we might be able to stabilize Dorme and make it habitable again. It's not too far from Vale and will be able to sustain a barrier of its own soon enough. At least if the Schnees pull through." He continued his trek until his scroll pinged him. "Seems that there's a decent amount of Grimm nearby." He drew his sword and continued moving at least until a Nevermore began to circle him from the sky. He sighed as he sheathed his sword and drew a compact bow which expanded upon being drawn. He notched an arrow then waited as the bird's patterns became apparent to the hunter.

In one fluid motion, the arrow flew forward and pierced the wing of the raven causing it to shriek as the head of the arrow exploded. The flightless bird crashed into the ground causing Knight to charge forward and decapitate the bird with one swift motion from his sword. Once the noise died down, more Grimm erupted from the forest as if attacking a wounded animal. He grinned as he entered a one handed sword stance and moved in and out while taking down the enemy, beast by beast. Once he took care of the small fry he waited for the large species to attack but nothing came, allowing him to continue moving up without much effort. "They're getting smarter that's for sure."

An hour later, he took a deep breath and leaned against a broken tree. He looked around and noticed he reached the area where Queen nearly destroyed one of her gauntlets. "They really did a number here." He looked down at his scroll and sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn it. They even blocked the road I was using." He looked around then sighed and opened his scroll which began to reroute him through a side road a mile to the east of his current location. "I would scold them but they had no choice."

With time starting to whittle at his patience, the blonde sped himself up with the use of his aura which would have been wise if he was not in Grimm infested woods. Once he reached the side road he felt a strange sensation. He focused and channeled his aura into his eyes allowing him to see in the darkened corners of the forest. What he saw caused him to rethink his decision to get to the town of Amir which was connected to the ports. Hundreds of red glows caused him to proceed with caution. "Might as well let them know where I am in case I go missing." With the press of a few buttons, the rest of his allies were notified of his location.

He was about to take a step into the darkness when a woman appeared in front of him. Her black hair was stunning but not as stunning as he golden eyes. The pair of cat ears on her head showed proof of her heritage, she was a Faunus. "Don't go in there if you want to step out alive." He gave her a nervous smile as he stepped past her and readied his blade which was itching for a fight. "I'm warning you. The amount of Grimm in there is enough to devour even a team full of expert hunters." He simply nodded at her and closed his eyes as he held his hand out. "what are y-"

"Stay quiet for a little bit please." She hesitated but nodded as she noticed light flow off of his skin and into the air. The light illuminated the forest causing the creatures to snarl and growl. The sudden reactions nearly made the Faunus flinch but she stopped herself. The light soon faded and Knight opened his eyes. "They're all small fries. The large ones are guarding the nest."

"Don't tell me you're still going in?!" She stood on front of him once more but once again he moved around her with ease. "Are you tired of living in a Grimm infested world so you're getting yourself killed?" Knight turned and pointed his sword at her. "I'm retaking Vale piece by piece. What are you doing?" With those words he left and entered the forest where the sounds of battle soon erupted and reached the Faunus' ears. She growled and turned to face the other figures near her. "If this kid is who I think it is then we're helping him get through."

The other members of the white fang got excited at thinking of the potential battle they were getting into. Another shadow landed in front of the woman and looked at the forest before turning to the other soldiers. "We follow Knight's lead. Take out stragglers and we push to Amir." The group all shouted a battle cry as they all rushed into the forest behind the blonde swordsman. Upon entering, they saw nothing but the remains of Grimm until they reached a large clearing where the knight sat regaining his aura.

The group of twelve surrounded the knight and held defensive positions while he meditated. Once the number of people increased, they noticed the eyes of multiple Grimm shining through as they charged through the trees. Blake drew her sheath then gripped a second handle which put her into a dual wielding stance. "Keep Knight safe at all cost!" She screamed as she charged forward and began dispatching the monsters one by one. Around her, her allies slashed, shot, pummeled, and attacked each Grimm that got close enough. On the opposite side of Blake was a man with a white Grimm mask covering his eyes. In his hands was a katana which his was using to cut down all the Grimm that entered his area or reach. He skillfully dissected a larger enemy in three slices then proceeded to wipe out a larger group with one swipe before returning to his spot.

The other members of Blake's group were doing well at least until a death stalker charged at the least protected area which caused the raven headed Faunus to charge forward and meet the Grimm mid charge. The two crashed into each other but she was launched backwards and across the clearing. She winced as she pushed herself up and charged at the beast once more. _'I'm no good against that armor. Adam is busy too… What to do?' _ She avoided one of its pincers and followed up with an aura infused punch to its face causing the monster to hiss as it reeled back. She shook her hand and hit a button on the side of her second blade. The sounds of shifting metal filled the air as the sword shifted into a throwing scythe which she spun from a ribbon that was wrapped around the hilt.

The death stalker charged forward as Blake spun the ribbon and threw it launching the scythe past the tail. She smirked as she pulled back causing the gun end of the weapon to fire. In response the scythe shifted the direction it went in and wrapped around the tail. She braced herself as she ran forward and jumped up, using the beast's claw to give herself more height. Once she was in the air, the death stalker swung its tail causing her to be flung violently as she hung on for dear life.

At the peak of her flight, she dove downwards and sliced the tail causing the stinger to fall towards the head. She shifted her body and raised her leg which she empowered with aura. "Haaa!" Slamming her heel into the stinger, she grit her teeth as she felt her ankle pop once it impacted the stinger. The stinger's amplified speed allowed it to pierce through the tough armor on the death stalker. She crashed into the ground but looked up and noticed the scorpion was still moving. "Damn too shallow." When she tried to stand she grit her teeth in pain as she realized her ankle was sprained at the least and broken at the most.

The Grimm turned and fueled by anger, it charged at the injured Faunus but got nowhere as a hand shot out and stopped the creature in its tracks. She looked up and Knight stood with his hand keeping the creature away, the Death stalker struggling to get past him. He let go and reached for his sword which he drew and empowered with aura. In one swift motion he slammed the hilt of the blade onto the sunken stinger which caused the scorpion to crash into the ground, lifeless.

The feline took a deep breath before she looked at the masked blonde in front of her who threw her a cheeky grin. "That's eight lives right?" Before she could retort, the sounds of battle stopped and the rest of her team walked over. The ones who were injured nursed their injuries or attempted to keep themselves dignified enough to look like a threat. "How many Grimm were killed?" The man with the katana walked over and stood in front of Knight with a scowl. "Close to a hundred." The swordsman nodded as he looked at his scroll.

"From the looks of it you guys are keeping me alive till we make it to Amir. We can't rest in this forest." He readied himself and sheathed his blade. He then looked at everyone and reached in his bag pulling out a few packets of soldier pills. "The only reason I was meditating was because I needed to gather an overflow of aura to get through this place in half the time." He tossed a packet to everyone then popped one himself. "Gathering Aura worked but I had to burn the overflow on the death stalker." He then closed his eyes for a second before aura was visible around him. "I didn't want to use the pills but we might as well." He looked at his scroll. "Normally it would take us two days to get to Amir but with the overflow we'll be able to get there in a day maybe half a day if we hurry."

The others nodded but Blake winced as she tried to put pressure on her leg. "Go on without me. I'll have to heal my ankle before I can move on." Before she could leave, a pair of arms lifted her up in a bridal carry. "H-huh?!" She looked up and noticed the blonde hair. "L-let me down!" He shook his head as he took a deep breath and looked at everyone before launching himself down the path that led towards Amir. She flushed but she reached around his neck and held on tight as she felt the wind rush past her while she focused her aura into her ankle to help it heal.

The group moved together, taking the path as fast as possible in order to make it to the end before another horde of Grimm ambushed them. The man with the mask and katana simply glanced over at Knight every once in a while which must have been to make sure his Faunus partner was fine. The blonde knight took a quick breath as he steadied himself and sped up due to beginning to fall behind. Noticing this, Blake looked at the pill in her hand then quickly placed one end in her mouth and flushed a bit due to what she was about to do. He heard her murmur a quick apology when she pulled herself up a bit and pressed her lips against his. The shock of the sudden action allowed her to slide the pill into his mouth with no trouble as she swiftly pulled away and continued looking ahead.

"Thanks." He channeled once again and increased his pace in order to lead the pack once more. _'I've gone through seven pills… The daily limit is ten and if I pass that then I'll mess up my ability to channel.' _His eyes skimmed through the forest as he looked for any signs of danger but the feeling of her soft lips made him flush in embarrassment. _'Clear your head moron.' _He took a deep breath and continued to look around until he noticed something strange. "Hold up!" Once he stopped, he sat Blake down on a tree stump while he looked around. "That tree is perfectly cut through and so are those over there."

The man who became to be known as Adam simply nodded In agreement as they scanned the area. "We're about ten miles away from Amir and if there's anyone who's living there then they would obviously be looking for supplies. If they're low on dust crystals then they'll be using fire wood instead." He continued looking around until he found a bag. "Found something." When they looked in the bag, they noticed a couple of things. One, there was multiple vials of dust in the bag and two, the owner was from another kingdom.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed. I'll see if I decide to upload another chapter tomorrow but for sure the release day is every Wednesday or every other Wednesday. Whichever I'm feelin. Have a nice day :3<p> 


	2. Longing for the Past

A/N: Early release for chap 2 i guess. Just some more set up and those who are kinda confused as to whats happening this may put a little bit of clarity in the picture I hope.

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><p>Chp 2. Longing for the Past<p>

Queen sighed as she walked alone through the trail leading back to Vale. Why the boss pulled her from the mission she didn't know but she wasn't going to question it. It had been a while since she relaxed so she hoped her replacement would be there for a while. She seemed to skip at one point due to boredom which ended up causing her hood to bounce with every step. Once she reached the boundary she looked up and grinned. "I'm back."

She walked past the invisible wall and immediately felt relieved as she no longer had to worry about having to fight. She continued walking but noticed someone was leaning against a motorcycle. It was a man with light blue almost white hair. He wore a white jacket over a black shirt with an insignia on it. She ran over and crossed her arms in amusement as he pushed himself up and signaled to the vehicle. "I figured you'd be tired of walking. So I brought your bike, and don't worry no scratches." She ran over and jumped onto her bike and started it up.

"Yeah I'm beat. I just wanna go home and crawl into bed now." The man laughed and hopped on the bike behind her. "No touchy feely. Just letting you know." He laughed and simply wrapped his arms around her waist. "If you drive like I remember then I won't be able to be touchy feely." She smirked and sped off causing the man to yelp as he pulled himself close. He mumbled something about irresponsible drivers and being denied. "So why'd you pull me out Lin?"

The man chuckled and relaxed his grip. "I need your help with recruitment. I'm looking at about five students from Ozpin's academy. The Vale Academy for Excellence he calls it." He sighed as they turned a corner causing the man to hold on tight once more lest he fly off. "One of the recruits I want is one Ruby Rose. You should be familiar with the name." Queen simply nodded as she pulled into a relatively small part of town and parked her bike. "Rest for now Yang. I'll go talk to Ozpin for now then I'll talk to you later. Ok?" She nodded as she pulled back her hood revealing her golden hair and lilac colored eyes.

"Linzer. I don't know how useful I'll be. As far as I'm concerned I'm dead to the world." She pulled up her sleeve revealing the remains of a large burn mark. "I should have died in that fire but you saved me. I'll always be grateful but I don't know if I want my sister being part of this." The Blonde fighter bit her lip as she looked down at the ground. She was waiting for some form of backlash but her eyes widened as he placed his hand on the top of her head with a warm smile.

"I understand you don't want to expose Miss Rose to the dangers of the Grimm but knowing who your uncle is, I know she's been fighting. I even have a couple of recordings of her in case you want to see what she's been up to." The blonde raised an eyebrow at the statement but decided to keep her witty remarks to herself. He rubbed the back of his head and pulled out his scroll which opened up. He held it out to her and she quickly sent the files to her own scroll. "Just get some rest. I'll ping you when I head over there."

Yang nodded as she walked into the rather large house and climbed up the stairs leading to a room at the end of the hall. She unhooked her coat and let it slide down her frame before removing her gauntlets. She set them down on the dresser and removed her boots tossing them to the side. She threw herself on her bed and pulled out her scroll which had three different videos on it. She clicked play on the first one and watched.

_A hooded girl walked through a snowy plain, a man wearing a black cloak followed her as they looked for something. When they made it to the center, they stood at a single grave marker. The girl spoke as she knelt down to leave a small bouquet of roses. "Mom. How are you today?" She rubbed her eyes and continued to talk. "I took down a Boarbatusk and an Ursa the other day. I had uncle Qrow watching my back the whole time and then I took out a horde of Beowolves by myself." Tears were forming on the corners of her eyes as she continued speaking. "I wish you and Yang were with me mom. I wish Yang didn't die. I miss you both so much." Tears slid down her face as she rested her head on the ground, her body shaking with each sob._

_A deep voice broke her out of her sorrow as a pitch black weapon was brandished. Ruby looked up, her tear streaked face stared at the horde of Grimm that had followed them. "Ruby. Stay behind me and do not engage. I'll take them o-" He was cut off by the red petals that drifted past him. "Damnit Ruby! You had to be as stubborn as Summer and Taiyang combined." He twirled his scythe and ran after her in a flurry of black feathers. By the time he reached the girl, she was taking down each Grimm one at a time. He looked on but decided not to stay on the side lines as he focused and disappeared in a flash._

_The red head continued cutting down the Beowolves one by one until an Ursa Major knocked her away causing her to bounce across the floor before skidding to a stop. She grit her teeth and pushed herself up but the Ursa was already on her. She closed her eyes but the killing blow never came, instead she stared at a man with light blue hair stabbing the beast through the throat. A second later, he snapped his fingers and blades made of ice pierced through the rest of the Grimm. Qrow looked at the man and rushed at him. _

_The two clashed and knocked each other away but the blue haired man winced as pain shot up through his arm causing him to run off. _The recording cut off after he left causing her to sit up and stare at the image of the man who had stopped the Major from killing her baby sister. The hair, their frame, everything aligned well enough. She would have to question Linzer once they met up whenever he was ready. In the meanwhile she would look at the other two recordings.

_The area where the video was recorded was dark but after a few seconds, the area was lit enough to see what was going on. The room was simple with a large table in the middle. At the table sat five people with two people behind each. The first person shown was a woman with pitch black hair and burning yellow eyes. She wore a red dress that looked like it was made of fire. Behind her stood two people, one wore a hood to cover their face but from the body she could tell it was a girl. The second person was a man wearing a suit with a Grimm mask over his eyes. On the top of his head was a pair of horns which would define him as a Faunus._

_The second person was a man in a business suit. He had the insignia of the Schnee Corporation and he leaned back into the chair he was sitting in. Behind him were two women, both with white hair neatly brushed and arranged in a ponytail. The one to the left of the man wore a jacket that was white on the outside and red on the inside. She had a noticeable scar on the right eye but she still had an air of nobility to her. The one to the right of the man was similarly dressed to the first but instead of a jacket she wore a long coat which went past the length of her skirt. A sword hilt was noticeable on her hip as she stood elegant and tall._

_Linzer sat next to the Schnee head with Queen and Knight at his sides. Knight looked over at the Schnees with a playful smirk earning an eye roll from the daughter with the scar and a blush from the other. Linzer shot a glare to the blonde causing him to straighten up earning a chuckle from Queen._

_Next to Linzer was another man but he was probably the shadiest in the group. He had bright orange hair which covered one of his eyes. He leaned back into his seat and rested a cane on his lap. He wore a white suit and a hat which he tipped forward playfully. Behind him was a woman with brown and pink hair who wore a suit in the same color scheme as the man. In her hands was a parasol which was closed at the moment but she gave the group a playful smirk before leaning against the man's seat. On the other side was a person in rugged clothing and a mohawk. The man played with a pair of knives as he tossed them up and down playfully._

_The final person was Qrow and next to him were two people. The one to the right of him was a cloaked girl who had her hood covering her face and hair. She held her hands in front of her in a dignified manner and kept her head down. The other person was a man with armor covering his chest, arms and legs. He had burning orange hair which was brushed back neatly. Over his shoulder was a mace which had a dust crystal in the middle. _

_Qrow spoke first as he pressed a few buttons on the table causing a holographic map to appear. He then spread it and pointed to an area at the edge near the sea. "The ports in Vale are fine and all but any trade that can be done outside of the kingdom has settled or stalled. We need more port side towns in order to keep trade open." Linzer nodded and he pointed at a specific point on the map. "That's Amir, the port city that leads straight to Mistral and Atlas." The blue haired man nodded once more and then spoke._

_"I can have my hunters initiate a scouting mission to the port side town but they'll have to pass through the second boundary to get there. Specifically the Emerald Forest." The rest of the group nodded in agreement while the hunter expanded the map once more. "We've already taken most of Dorme and from there we can establish a base of operations." The city that was on the map was the one he mentioned with the image on the map being mostly green. "This is where the Schnee come in. I need you to set up a linked barrier which can be used on the surrounding towns in order to create an oasis of sorts."_

_The elder Schnee nodded and slid a container across the table towards Linzer. "Done. Take that as a way to settle the deal." The hunter opened it and raised an eyebrow. Inside the box was a series of vials with multiple types of dust as well as dust crystals. "Once Dorme is stabilized I will send Winter and some of my technicians to install the large crystal which will create the barrier for the city of Dorme." He then manipulated the map to show Vale. "We will need people to escort the new residents of Dorme once the barrier goes up."_

_Both the man with the orange hair and the woman with the fiery dress nodded. The woman spoke first. "The white fang will take the surrounding area and eliminate the Grimm on the day of the evacuation. We'll need Roman's mercenaries to actually escort the people to the city safely." She gave the man a stare which knocked him out of his stupor and he leaned forward with his hands on the table._

_"Well my dear Cinder I am deeply hurt we won't be business partners for now." He pointed at the path and crossed his hands. "I can send my men to protect the movers easily. We'll just have the city of Vale repave a path for larger vehicles to drive on without getting stuck. I will also have a couple of bullheads to spare just in case." The others nodded in agreement until Qrow spoke up._

_He leaned forward and tapped a few coordinates into map revealing the port city of Amir. "Linzer this will be your priority until Dorme is rebuilt. If only there was a survivor to the Arc family maybe we would have more knowledge of the way the Dust seals work." He placed a book on the table. "This is the only thing we know about them but the information that even one person had could trump this. It truly is a sad thing that the family was lost during the opening days of the fall." Knight clenched his fists but a look from his leader caused him to relax._

The video cut off soon after and she lay there remembering that day and thinking that there was something strange happening with that hooded girl. It was like she was hiding her face but then again so was she. "The girl next to Qrow must have been Rubes." She chuckled as she debated on playing the last recording but from the look of it, it looked like she was fighting something.

She looked out the window and noticed that the sun had nearly set. "I wonder how Jaune's mission is going." She removed her vest leaving her in a tank top and shorts as she turned onto her side and proceeded to close her eyes. Her breathing steadied but as she remembered the first video, she couldn't help letting out a few sobs as she thought about her sister mourning her.

Knight winced as he avoided a swipe from an Ursa and followed up by slashing its neck, severing the head from the body. He sighed in relief as he turned and watched the others finish dispatching the Grimm around them. He looked over at Blake who winced with each step but not as bad as when she first hurt her leg. "Hey Blake your ankle feeling any better?" The Faunus looked over then immediately turned away. "I'll be fine." She hid the faint blush spreading across her cheeks causing one of her allies to tease her.

They now stood at the entrance to the city and the smell caused the members of the white fang to tense and ready their weapons. "Blood." One of the members called out as they readied their weapons. "Be careful from the looks of it there's Grimm and people. Knight nodded and readied his sword as he charged into the city. He channeled aura into his eyes and was able to see in the dark as well as the Faunus as he stabbed a beowolf in the chest followed by cutting down an Ursa. He continued walking until he saw a large fire. His eyes widened as memories flooded his head.

_Everything was on fire and there were creatures everywhere. He looked around and noticed a person slumped over. "Dad?" He walked over and shook the person but no response but when he looked up, his eyes widened. "S-stay away!" He looked around for anything when he remembered the sword and shield above the fireplace. He sprinted for it when a pair of arms embraced him. "Mom?"_

_She smiled as her brown hair slid down her shoulder. "My little Jaune. Please take this and run. Run while I hold them back!" In his hands was a sheathed sword which he held close to his chest as he ran as fast as he could. The woman smiled at her son once more before looking at the dust crystal in her hand. "Be safe my child." She held the crystal out which enraged the flames and finally exploded, destroying everything. _

_Jaune stared at the explosion as he collapsed to his knees as he screamed at the loss of his mother and father. Tears streamed down his face as he mourned the loss of the only family he knew. "Mom…..Dad…" He finally let sorrow corrupt him as he fell forward, his body shaking as he sobbed into the ash covered ground. His sorrow too much to realize that a group of Grimm slowly closed in on him with the intent to kill._

_The small broken body of Jaune was easy prey at least if the Grimm could see what was coming. Blades of ice pierced through all of them then shattered leaving the boy alone among the group of dead creatures. "Poor child." The man knelt down and raised the head of the boy whose eyes were now lifeless. "My name is Linzer Arterius. I'm a hunter." The boy simply looked down at the sword and looked back up at the man who smiled warmly. "I can teach you. If you learn then this will never happen again." The boy nodded and looked up at Linzer who smiled before picking up the boy. "Alright. Let's move out so we can let the little one rest."_

Knight blinked and noticed he was surrounded by his allies. He shook his head and sheathed his sword. "I'm okay. Just some fleeting memories." He continued exploring the town, walking through the streets and seeing similar fires every time he turned a corner. Upon making it to the docks, he noticed a large ship at the port. "That wasn't there last time." He signaled for the team to follow him towards the large ship until a loud snap caught his attention. "Down!" He quickly shot his hand up and formed a barrier to stop the bullet from hitting anyone. He grit his teeth as the bullet seemed to be pushing through the barrier which caused him to strain. "Damn it!" Before the barrier shattered, Blake dove and pushed him out of the way causing the bullet to crash into the ground leaving a small crater.

When they looked at the ship, they noticed that there was a flame moving back and forth. Knight winced and pushed himself up then helped Blake stand as he grabbed a plank and lit it on fire before waving it in the air. The flame on the other ship waved wildly followed by an explosion of pink light. The swordsman chuckled as he reached into his bag and pulled out a flare. He covered his ear as he fired it into the air, lighting the sky in a red glow.

About half an hour later, a group of people walked towards Knight and his team. The leader of the team was a woman with red hair which was tied into a ponytail. She wore a headdress which circled her head only partially covered by her bangs. She wore bronze colored armor, a shield at her hip and a spear in her hand. Her emerald eyes caught the eyes of the males as they sent playful smiles towards her. She simply nodded in order to acknowledge them at least until she noticed Knight looking at them.

Behind her was a man and woman, the man had black and magenta hair with thin eyes which seemed to catch the attention of those who looked at him. He wore oriental clothing which was a green top with golden embroidery and plain white pants. The woman had orange hair and a large grin on her face as she walked side by side with the man. She wore a white and pink clothing with her chest having an opening in the shape of a heart which gave the men an eyeful. The rest of the group wore various forms of clothing and/or armor along with their respective weapons.

Knight stepped forward and held his hand out. "On behalf of Vale, my name is Knight and I as well as the white fang welcome you. Although it is rather inconvenient that you guys chose this port instead of Vale's docks." He chuckled as he rubbed his head. The red head took his hand and nodded. "Well then I think now that the sun's down. We should all get some rest." The members of the white fang nodded as the group walked towards the large ship together. "By the way I never got your name." The red head turned and scratched the back of her head nervously.

"Pyrrha Nikkos." She looked over at Knight which caused him to fix his hood. Her eyes glowed slightly as his hood slid back a little revealing his blonde hair. "Thank you for showing up. The passengers were getting scared that they would never have any form of relief in the form of reinforcements." She walked side by side with him giving him the long version of what happened that they ended up at Port Amir. "So essentially we were attacked by Grimm that are able to swim and they killed the captain of the ship. The man in green, Ren, was able to steer the ship into the dock by sheer luck. Afterwards we sent in parties to clear the town of Grimm but we're running low on dust crystals which is why we're using firewood."

Knight nodded as he continued his walk at least until they reached the ship. "Alright in the morning we can arrange a supply drop as well as aid for your injured. We'll find a place to stay at least a place not burned down to the ground or destroyed by the Grimm." The red head nodded as she signaled her team to get on the ship. Once they were gone, she looked around and noticed a hotel a block down that looked in good condition. "Excuse me. Knight was it?" The blonde nodded as she pointed to the hotel which the group agreed to going to. "Thanks Pyrrha. Maybe we'll see each other again while we work on some solutions." He smiled at her which caused her heart to flutter a bit before turning away and running into the ship.

Blake walked over to him, the limp in her step now minimal. "So we heading out lady-killer?" The knight blushed a bit as he nodded and led the group to the hotel which was unlocked. Once they stepped inside, the place looked like a mess but mainly due to the amount of dropped luggage and bags. Adam looked around and drew his katana. "Everyone on guard." All of a sudden, a man stepped out with eyes wide as he threw his arms up. "Just a person. Go and find rooms, we'll talk to him and see what he's doing here." The others nodded and left leaving only Blake, Adam and Knight. "Adam you can go to sleep as well. I know you've been carrying my weight while I was injured." The man grunted but he sighed and followed her orders and left the three alone. The three simply stared at each other until the man sighed and sat down on the ground

He opened up a carton of cigarettes and was about to pull something out but Blake's hand landed on the packet and lowered it. Knight simply nodded in understanding with the man rolling his eyes. "Well if you want to know who I am then I'm Russel Thrush. Roman sent me to meet some kid named Knight. Something about a supply drop." Blake looked at him then at Knight who nodded. "Well you found me Russel. Now tell me about this supply drop Roman is gonna give us."

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><p>There's chapter 2 Hope you enjoyed.<p> 


	3. Recruitment

A/N: WHAT IS THIS!? I'm uploading chapter three on the same day?! Why yes I am. Kinda wanted this out there haha. Hope ya like.

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><p>Chp. 3 Recruitment<p>

The sun was over the sky as the sound of her scroll beeping caused the fighter to sit up and rub her head. When she looked in the mirror, her eyes were red and she had streaks running down her face. She sighed as she remembered why she fell asleep while crying. Her baby sister remembered her which caused her to smile as she walked into the shower and bathed. The hot water ran down her skin as she allowed it to take her into its blissful embrace.

Once she stepped out, she began to dry off her hair while her scroll began to beep again. She sighed as she picked it up and looked at the message. _'Meeting Ozpin at Vale Academy. Come dressed in standard uniform but wear the mask and use the wig so no one notices you.' _She sighed as she knew her baby sister would be forced into hiding while working with Linzer.

She looked through her wardrobe and found a black tank top which she quickly pulled on followed by pulling on her shorts and vest. She studied her look in the mirror then changed once more but this time she wore pants instead of shorts. She gave herself another quick look then nodded as she pulled on a black and white pea coat which she had set aside as her formal wear. Once she was dressed, she strapped on her gauntlets which clicked into place followed by reaching into her drawer and pulling out a Grimm mask that was given to her by the white fang as a show of faith.

She pulled it on and noticed that it gave her eyes a red glow which caused her to grin before tying her hair. She looked at the wig then decided against it as she picked up a can with a liquid that she sprayed on her hair causing it to change from yellow to a dark red. Quickly shaking her hair, she stepped outside and hopped on her bike. She started it and headed towards the Vale Academy for Excellence.

She watched the road while maneuvering the bike through the less than ready roads. Her eyes narrowed as she rode past a building that had been under construction. The only thing she remembered about the building was a fire that happened approximately two years ago. It was a decent plot of land with a miniature lake next to it at least until the burned remains of a large storage shed were removed and replaced by the now hulking mass of building. She sped up and headed down the main streets before taking a left turn. She looked up and saw the large academy building which looked brand new even after a few years of wear and tear.

Upon arrival, she stepped off and noticed the stares she was getting. She blew the boys a kiss which caused some of them to fall back as if fainting while she walked into the school. She walked down the halls and looked at all of the varying images on the walls, drawn by each passing grade. She chuckled then headed for the large set of stairs which led her to the headmaster's office. Once inside, she walked to the headmaster's office which was open. She knocked and was told to come in and what she saw caused her to stifle a chuckle. Linzer was talking with Ozpin and the two seemed to be arguing about something, at least until she stepped in and cleared her throat. "Oh Queen, I'm glad you came." She nodded and took a seat beside the blue headed man.

Ozpin looked at her with wide eyes at least until he composed himself and crossed his hands over his desk. "Now then If you're here Linzer, then I can only expect the worst." The man chuckled before placing a data pad on the table. He stared at the device then picked it up carefully, almost if he were wary of what the device contained. "And this is?"

"A small list of students." The headmaster looked through the list and sighed as he looked at each name one by one. "They all have potential Oz." He looked up at Linzer and placed the data pad on the table. "I understand where you're coming from Linzer but I don't know if I can let them do this." The leader of the hunter's guild stood and slammed his hands on the table. "Ozpin you know as well as I do that if new hunters aren't trained we won't stand a chance. We have a couple of years left at most before we get overrun." The headmaster was about to reply but he was stopped by the blue headed man who continued. "and if the Grimm don't kill us then the bandits will."

"Arterius you do realize that the final decision will be theirs." The man nodded and watched the headmaster as he drummed his fingers on the desk. "I want to know that you'll have their best interests in mind. If I cannot have that guarantee then I won't budge." Linzer nodded and watched the headmaster as he slid the data pad back and pressed a button on the console next to him. "Miss Goodwitch please bring in Ruby Rose, Cardin Winchester, Velvet Scarlatina, Sky Lark and Dove Bronzewing." A few moments later, the five students stepped in and Glynda followed them, her eyes widening when she saw who was waiting for them.

Linzer stood followed by Queen who placed their arms behind their backs. Queen was the one who spoke, stopping Linzer from saying anything. "My name is Queen. I'm a member of the Hunter's Guild. The five of you have been brought up here to us because of your individual skills and/or potential." She crossed her arms under her bust and paced the room, examining the students. "Each of you may have had your families teach you or you may have gained your power through tough loss. This does not make you weaker nor stronger than anyone else." Each student kept a calm stare at least until Ruby looked at Queen in the eyes, the glowing red catching everyone off guard.

"For every hunter out there an average of a hundred Grimm destroyed, for every hunter a new light blooms bringing the light to areas grasped by the dark." She stopped and faced the group once more. "To be a hunter is to know that your life is always on the line. That in death you'll have brought us a step closer to bringing Vale back to its former state." Some of the students were looking down at the ground while others had hard stares and that normally meant one thing. "The Grimm's rampage is going to end because it's going to be by our hands." The students seemingly rallied by her words looked directly at her while she gave them a nod of encouragement.

Linzer clapped while Ozpin and Glynda both looked on to see the responses. "How long will you live behind walls and not even try to look at what lies beyond the boundary." Everyone watched Queen's face go from the battle hardened hunter to a normal person as she gave them a warm smile. "If you join us not only will you be trained by the best but you'll be part of the best." The first step forward was a tall man with orange hair brushed back. Queen nodded as a man with blue hair stepped forward and stood next to the orange headed one. Ruby looked at them and was about to step forward when Queen stopped her. "You're still too young for this. Wait a couple of years and then we'll come find you again."

Ruby glared at Queen then dashed forward swiping her mask off. The eyes she looked at were similar to hers almost like a mirror image. The two stood still but Queen simply took the mask back and placed it on again. "I'm joining you guys. I lost my sister because we only waited to watch and learn." Queen was going to turn away but was stopped by Ruby who was glaring a hole into her now. "I won't let someone who looks like my dead sister tell me I can't fight. Especially since that's not the person I looked up to. If she were here, she would take the chance to fight and so am I!" She reached behind her back and was about to grab something when Linzer snapped his fingers and froze her arm in place. She looked the ice user in the eyes and allowed her aura to flow outward. "I'm joining and that's final. Add Ruby Rose to your ranks." She turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she left to go find Qrow. Queen looked and Linzer who nodded as she went after the furious red head.

Meanwhile he would deal with the other four. "Now then. Who would like to take up on my offer?" Cardin and Sky both nodded while Dove and Velvet seemed a little more reserved. The rabbit Faunus slowly raised her hand which caused the man to nod. "M-my semblance is leaned more t-towards h-healing." He walked over to her and gently lifted her head up and caused her to look at him in the eye. "Healers are the most important thing we need. The more of your kind we have then we can prevent both deaths in our ranks and of those we save." She nodded and looked over at Dove who shook his head and left the room. "Well what do you say? The Faunus nodded as she shook the blue haired man's hand.

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><p>Ozpin looked on as memories of the past took him back to when his life's goal was to help groom the next generation of hunters. He leaned back into his seat as images of Beacon Academy appeared in front of him like a revenant of the past. It haunted him, the decision that led to this dust forsaken situation. If he were stronger then maybe he would have been able to do it. To stop the maniac that was Damon Arterius. To prevent the cataclysm that followed his actions on that dreaded day.<p>

_"Damon stop! Don't do it!" Ozpin yelled out as the dark haired boy reached out to the pitch black dust crystal. It was almost like it was calling out to him. Begging him to unleash the raw power that was hidden behind the crystalline structure. "Damon if you touch that then you'll doom everyone. Beacon will fall!" The headmaster called out while attempting to reason with his student. "Please listen to me!" The dark haired boy smiled as he placed his hand on the crystal which shot him back into a wall and gave him all of the dark energy which it was suppressing. "Damon!" He screamed as he attempted to make his way towards the pinned student who was clearly laughing all while the energy entered his body._

_Once all of the energy was drained, he collapsed to the ground and laughed as the energy finished joining with him. He stood up and stared at his hands which were as pale as moon's light. He then looked below him and noticed figures moving around the shadows, they wouldn't judge him, they wouldn't try to force him away. Damon simply chuckled as he took a few steps forward and allowed the shadows to consume him._

_Ozpin closed his eyes as he began to channel a dust spell that would end the life of his student when a shadow threw him into a wall and pinned him. "Damon. I know you're in there. Please forgive me." His eyes gained an ethereal glow as he was about to launch his completed dust spell. He attempted to say the last line in the spell but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't end the life of his student and now he was going to sit and watch the beginning of the end. He grit his teeth as he looked at Damon laughing and raising a hand covered in darkness. "Let the beasts be free!" He yelled out as he sent tendrils into the now clear dust crystal. The thing shattered like it was glass causing Ozpin to stare in despair as the light protecting Beacon finally went out._

He was knocked out of his stupor by Glynda who handed him the forms that would finalize their decision to let the students go. "I don't want to do this Glynda… I don't" He held his head in his hands and took a deep breath before standing and punching the desk. "Why am I so weak!?" He clenched his fists but stopped when the blonde mage wrapped her arms around the headmaster calming him down. "I.. I Just." She nodded as she held the headmaster close. "The reason I stood by your side is because I never lost faith. So believe in them." The two sat in silence while they waited for the students' final decision.

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><p>Queen made it outside where she found Ruby punching and kicking a nearby tree with an angered glare. She empowered her fist and punched through part of the tree causing the masked woman to whistle as she walked over to the girl who continued to hit the poor tree. "What do you want?" Ruby continued to attack the plant until she was about to deliver another empowered strike. That was when Queen stepped in and grabbed her fist causing the girl to pull back and yell at the masked woman. "Why are you in my way?"<p>

The fighter let go and crossed her arms. "If you let emotions get in the way like that then all you'll be is a liability." The crimson cloaked girl grit her teeth and she stormed up to the woman and pointed at her. "Trying to show me otherwise will only prove me right. Miss Rose." That was when she lost it. She thrust her fist out but all she saw was the ground as she was flipped around before crashing into the unforgiving floor. "Sloppy." She pushed herself up but was sent flying back by a swift kick. "No defense."

Ruby knowing she was outmatched grit her teeth and reached for her weapon which was in a red case on her lower back. Before she could pull it out, the fighter closed the distance and hit her with a quick body blow which knocked the girl up into the air. Her eyes widened as she attempted to shield herself only to be launched into the tree she had hit earlier. She winced as she pushed herself up, her glare still as strong as ever. "Knock me down as much as you want but I'll never stay down!" She was about to take another hit when the cloaked girl rolled out of the way and unleashed her semblance in order to escape.

Queen grit her teeth as she ran towards the buildings and quickly kicked off of the walls of the closest one. She jumped from wall to wall until she reached the roof where the sped off after Ruby. "Get back here!" The hooded girl grit her teeth as she sped up more before opening her scroll and finding where she wanted to go. She quickly shifted her weight and ran along another roof which caused the fighter to quickly adapt as she continued her chase.

Their chase led to a clearing that led to a known weapon shop that was owned by Qrow. Queen grit her teeth as she kicked off of the roof and tackled Ruby out of the air causing them to crash into the ground. They both stood and the crimson hooded girl had her scythe drawn. "Bring it." The two crashed into each other but the scythe bearer ducked under and used the pole to send the fighter sliding back.

Queen stomped on the ground and flames burst from her body burning parts of her coat off before it settled and gently flowed off of her body. The two charged forward and collided but the difference in power caused the scythe wielder to crash into a wall before sliding down. "That's the difference in our strength." Her eyes widened as the girl pushed herself up and spat out some blood. "Is that all?" She focused and her aura flared as she charged forward once again. Queen closed her eyes as she allowed her flames to fully erupt as she charged forward with her fist drawn back.

It was like time stood still as the two were about to clash when a series of black feathers blinded both fighters. What they saw next shocked both of them. Qrow was holding back Queen's fist with his bare hand and he stopped the scythe with a simple knife. He then flared his own aura which caused two black wings to erupt from his back before fading into simple black light emerging from his body. "Enough of this senseless fighting." The two were shaking as the pressure he was exerting was enough to cause the cracks on Queen's mask to expand.

Once the mask shattered, Qrow dropped her fist and simply glared at her. "I thought I told you to stay away from Ruby. You already tossed Yang into the fire I'm not letting you do the same to Red!" Queen's blood ran cold as his words seemed to cut her deep. "You broke Taiyang's heart and left your daughter to fend for herself! And you called yourself their mother!" He pointed the knife in her direction and forced her to back away until she hit a wall. She looked behind herself and noticed no way out so she simply waited for the inevitable. That was right, she had been told she had an eerie resemblance to her mother, almost like a mirror image. She simply decided on letting the blade cut into her, she was tired from the chase and her aura was nearly depleted from the lack of rest.

The inevitable never came as she fell to her knees and looked at the ground. The flames around her died out revealing golden locks instead of the dark red she had dyed it in earlier. The remains of her coat slid down her frame revealing the dark brown vest, the symbol on her shoulder and finally, the gauntlets around her wrists. "Yang?" The man spoke in a pained voice as he dropped his weapon and knelt down in front of the girl. "You're… Alive?" She looked up which caused the red head to run over and look into the eyes which looked exactly like hers. "You're alive. You're alive!" He quickly embraced her and shook as emotions he had held back for two years finally came out.

Ruby soon followed her uncle as she ran over and embrace the fighter who was shaking as she let out her own pent up emotions. The three soon entered the weapon shop and sat down as the sisters simply enjoyed each other's presence. Qrow walked to the back and decided to work on some of the weapons that were ordered while the sisters caught up. He chuckled as he realized that in two years, this was the first time Ruby showed any bit of emotion other than anger.

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><p>The headmaster sat back down and looked at the forms on the desk. "Glynda what do you think I should do. I'm… lost." The blonde witch simply sat down at the edge of the desk and looked at the headmaster. "You've never been a gambler headmaster. Don't start now." He stared at the forms and rubbed his temples.<p>

_Ozpin sighed as he stared at the sisters that stood in his office. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this sudden visit?" The blonde rubbed her head and chuckled nervously while Ruby simply looked away and whistled innocently. "Well. We were caught sparring in the sports field by one of the instructors." He raised his eyebrow in confusion._

_"You were caught. Sparring?" They both nodded which caused the grey haired man to sigh. "Unfortunately this isn't a hunting academy so doing that sort of activity puts us in a compromising situation." He stared at them and drummed his fingers on the table. "Why do you two idolize hunters so much?"_

_Yang spoke first with a glint in her eye that he had never seen before. "We want to help. We want to be part of the stories everyone tells. We can't make a change by staying confined by walls." Ruby followed up with stars in her eyes as she spoke. "You're Ozpin former headmaster of Beacon Academy and your assistant is Glynda Goodwitch. One of the most renowned huntresses to ever live!" The headmaster sighed as he looked over at the blonde witch._

_"You two do understand that this was in another time. Another life." He stood and walked over to the sisters with a sad smile. "Beacon fell because of my indecision and that is a burden I will never want to place on anyone. Ever." The sisters looked down at the ground but then they heard the headmaster speak again. "I don't want to impose my burden on you but if I won't even try to clean it up. Then there's nothing more I can do but push it onto the young ones." He sighed and sat back down as he leaned into his seat. "You're dismissed. Just don't get caught again."_

"I do pray that I am not making a horrible mistake." He looked at the forms which were signed by the students then placed his stamp of approval. "I'm sorry you shall shoulder my burden." He looked at his assistant who simply nodded and took the forms which were to be delivered to the parents or guardians of each student. "Hopefully one day. I'll stop running from my past."

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><p>Knight yawned as he looked down at his scroll. "Too early." He mumbled as he followed the mohawked man along with Blake and Pyrrha. The four person group made it to the center of town and waited as Russel looked at his scroll, he typed in a few commands when the sound of a crash caught the attention of the group. The man walked over and cut off the cloth revealing a large amount of crates and bags. "Here's the stuff. Weapons, ammo, food, clothing, medicine and anything else you can think of. All compliments of Roman." The masked blonde stepped forward and looked around then nodded. "Tell Roman I said thanks."<p>

Russel shrugged and held his hand out which caused Knight to chuckle as he reached into the bag and tossed him a book. "That'll keep Roman ahead. It's a book about Arc family dust seals and some other advanced stuff." The man nodded and gave a quick wave as he walked towards the opposite end of the town. He looked at the book and smirked as he tucked it into his vest before opening his scroll. "Got something you'll be glad to see Roman. An Arc family seal book." The feminine voice on the other end caused him to sigh. "Neo... I was expecting to hear from the boss." The giggle he heard crept him out but he stayed quiet and instead continued his trek.

Knight, Blake and Pyrrha began taking down boxes in order to look at the contents inside when they heard the sounds of multiple footsteps. Blake turned and noticed Adam and the other members of the white fang walking towards them. "Mind helping?" The red headed Faunus nodded as he signaled the others to help unload the boxes. Inside of the larger armored boxes were containers of dust crystals and vials while the others were first aid kits, medicine, clothing, food, and various other supplies. "Alright Pyrrha, this should be enough to get everyone through to Dorme if they want to risk the journey." The gladiator rubbed her chin and looked over at Knight to get his input when he closed the case he was looking at and spoke up.

"These supplies could last a month at the least which would allow the rest of the white fang and hunters to join forces and clear sections of the emerald forest." He looked around and noticed something strange. He ran over to another covered object and drew his sword which he used to cut the cloth. What he saw caused him to laugh. "You've got to be kidding me." He looked around and found some keys attached to the door which he took and used to open the door. Once everyone caught up to him, they stared at the Bullhead which looked brand new. "Anyone know how to fly?" One of the white fang members raised their hand and stepped into the ship which turned on instantly. "Okay so we have transportation. Open up the back so we can load in the supplies!" The person nodded and opened up the back as the others began to load the ship.

After half an hour the ship was loaded and readied to go as Blake sat at the front with the driver and watched as the ship easily took off and hovered towards the large ship that was stranded on the docks. The flight was relatively short as it landed almost instantly and opened the back once more as more people waited to help with the unloading of the supplies. Once everyone stepped out, the people on the ship celebrated as the new supplies were being placed outside. "Thank you for the help." Knight looked at Pyrrha and nodded as he helped her down from the ship before looking at the group. They were greeted by Ren and the woman who was called Nora. "Good job leader but some of the injured really need treatment. Same for those who are sick." The man sighed as he turned to the ship. "I know that the supplies being brought in and everything is good but we're going to lose more people than the original attack if we wait any longer." The orange headed girl simply stepped forward and raised her hand. "Yes Nora?"

"Why don't we use the bullhead? I mean the sick and injured will be able to get to Vale to receive treatment if we do that." A man overheard and stormed over with a scowl. "And what leave us out here to die to those monsters?!" She flinched but the green clad man stepped forward and stared down the man.

He grabbed the man's collar and pulled him in. "Who's been keeping you wealthy types safe while all you do is complain?" The man stammered as he attempted to make a response. "Exactly. Let the sick and injured leave first then when the ship comes back you useless types can leave." He let go of the man who simply ran back to the ship. Ren muttered a curse before being hugged by the orange haired woman.

Knight held his and up and stopped them from talking. "We'll do as Nora suggested. Ren please assemble all the Injured and sick. Have them get into the air ship and we'll get them to Vale in one piece." The man nodded as he left to do as he was told. Once he got onto the ship his eyes widened as the same man who had yelled at him had stabbed a couple of people who were injured and was about to do the same to others when he closed the distance and simply threw him back out into the docks.

"I need a medic!" He attempted to stabilize one of the stabbed men but realized that the wounds were in vital areas which caused him to sigh in defeat. "Anyone who is Ill or has been injured fighting alongside us please go to the Bullhead. It will take you to Vale." The people who were sick nodded while the injured shook their heads. "Please listen to me. You'll be a better asset if you are in peak condition. With the limited resources here we won't be able to save everyone!" After hearing Ren's plea they decided to follow his directions as well.

After a few more minutes, the number of people dropped significantly as the bullhead took off. The pilot decided to have Adam go with him leaving Blake and the others to keep an eye on the situation. Ren and Nora carried the bodies of the slain hunters and found a place where they could be buried. Once the magenta eyed man was about to dig, Nora stopped him. "We should give them a proper burial not just a shallow grave." He nodded as they spent the rest of the morning and afternoon building a large burial pyre.

Knight stared at all of the able bodies working together to make the funeral pyres as he thought about different things and people as he looked on. He spun a pen around his fingers but stopped when he realized he was getting stares from different people. He could hear the whispers, the anger, and the despair. He heard it all and it pained him. The amount of hopelessness some of these people had would be contagious had it not been for Miss Nikkos taking the reins and keeping everyone calm. His thoughts then floated to the people he met.

Pyrrha was loyal to a fault and she was strong. She was definitely strong due to the simple fact that she steamrolled his barrier with a simple bullet. She was also very pretty at least he thought so. Blake was the mysterious type. If he could compare her to anything he would compare her to the ninjas he read about in different books. Someone stealthy that always hid their heart, even though she did fail in that aspect. She tended to flush around him but mainly from the fact that they never did address that kiss. Adam looked like he always had a stick up his behind but he was fiercely loyal to Blake and the white fang which would lead him to think what relationship the two had. Ren and Nora he hadn't spoken to too much but he knew they were good people.

He sighed as he reached for his mask but stopped and instead continued to watch the building process which had been finished a few minute ago. Now they were placing the deceased onto the platforms where their bodies would be cremated. "Dying in a blaze of glory sounded like a nice thing." He chuckled at the first thing he heard Blake tell him. "Nah. I'm not suicidal. Just trying to save my home." He mumbled as he rested his head on his knees at least until he lost balance and fell to the side.

He sighed and decided to close his eyes but he hear a small yelp as he let out his sigh. Where his head was felt warm, really warm. He snuggled against the surface and was about to go to sleep when his eyes caught a glimpse of red. He blinked and turned. His eyes locked on to emerald ones causing him to shoot up and crash into a head full of red hair. The two groaned as they sat up and rubbed their heads. "Sorry." He heard Pyrrha call out as she rubbed her head.

"Why are you apologizing?" He winced as he fixed his mask which he thought was cracked from the force of the impact. "I mean I was the one on your lap and then head-butted you after I realized I was on your lap." Her face turned a dark red as she looked away. He chuckled and leaned back, resting on his arms as he looked at the funeral pyres which were ready now. "How about we go?" She nodded and they both stood. They walked over to the funeral pyres which Nora and Ren lit up. Once lit, anyone who fought or knew the struggle of fighting the Grimm stood at the flames and watched them burn.

After the ceremony, everyone went their separate ways leaving Jaune alone in front of the embers of the pyre. He reached into his coat and revealed a crest in the shape of two crescents. He mumbled a prayer as he clenched the metallic insignia. Once he finished, he decided to walk along the docks to clear his head. He slowly walked, allowing the small breeze to sway his cloak and hair as he took each step. In his head were simple thoughts about another world where Beacon never fell and he could have potentially been friends with everyone. Where his biggest worry would have been who he would take to the parties hunters would attend after successful hunts.

He held his hand out and channeled his aura forming a sphere of light which he held in his hands. He stared at the light and then he remembered the first lesson he ever learned from Linzer. "The light will eventually die. That's just how it is but we can always keep it alive by making sure it's passed on to the next generation." He then crushed the orb causing it to turn dust which slowly floated upwards. "We're the next generation so it's our job to take our home back."

He reached up to his mask and grabbed the edges but before he could pull it down, a quiet thud caught his attention. He turned and noticed Blake sitting next to him. She lowered her cloak revealing a white and black body suit which gave her mobility. He then noticed that she had a ribbon in her hair where her ears normally were. "Hiding your ears?" She chuckled as she removed the ribbon revealing the cat ears.

"For a little bit. Didn't want to run into anyone who would jeopardize the mission. Are you finally taking off your mask?" Knight chuckled as he kept his hands on his mask. He was debating on telling her but he had just met her a few days ago. He sighed and decided to follow Queen's advice in situations like this. _'Screw it. Not like I'm losing out on anything' _He silently pulled down the mask, allowing his eyes to adjust to vision without it. He looked over at Blake who saw the look in his eyes which mirrored the look she had before she joined the white fang. His eyes were empty, at least that's what she saw. "Did something happen in your past?" He stiffened which answered her question. "Was I out of line to ask that?"

"No." He looked down at the water but he then began to speak. "I was eight when the breach happened. My hometown was close to Beacon." He reached into his coat and pulled out the crest again. "When Beacon fell, it was sudden. There wasn't some climactic preparation and then an amazing battle where we fought to the last man." He clenched onto the crest as he looked up at the moon. "It was slaughter. The few hunters that were in the town were forced to lead an impromptu evacuation but my mom Emilia Arc was pregnant with my baby sister." He looked back down towards the water as he tightened his hold on the crest.

"She wasn't able to move well and would have slowed everyone down. My dad John Arc was the only one who fought." He wiped his eyes on his sleeves as tears were beginning to form at the corner of his eyes. "He fought until he was overwhelmed but even then he took the bastards with him." Blake sat and listened, she would glance at him from time to time as she heard his tale. "It was just me and mom and I was going to fight like dad. I would save my mom and be the hero I always dreamed of." She placed her hand on his knee which gave him the courage to continue. "In the end. She gave me our family's sword. I always wanted some amazing mech shift weapon but I knew I would inherit my family's sword. After she gave me the weapon, she used a fire crystal to make the flames unstable and collapse the house on her and dad."

He took a deep breath and looked down at the crest which was leaving an imprint on his hand from how hard he held it. His eyes were blank and Blake could tell since it seemed like the life was drained from his eyes. "It was just me. I was on the ashes of my home town and no one came to save us. No heroes. Nothing." He grit his teeth as a feeling of anger crept into his chest. "That's what I thought at least until I met that man. Linzer Arterius." The name sounded familiar to the Faunus but she couldn't put her finger on it at least for now. "He found me and he took care of me for the last ten years. I threw away my name and now call myself Knight." He threw a half smile her way as he put the crest away. "That's my story. Sorry if I lack the pictures."

Blake simply nodded as she turned to face him. "I don't think you've thrown away your name. At least not yet." She placed her hand on her chest and looked up at the moon. "A name can't be cast aside. It follows you, haunts you and dies with you. So Knight, What's the name you'll carry to the grave?" She watched him when his blue eyes looked up at the moon as well. "My name, is Jaune Arc." The Faunus smiled as she stood up and began to walk back to the hotel when a hand wrapped around her wrist. "I beg you Blake. Don't tell anyone else you know my real name." He watched her nod before letting her go.

He stared out into the ocean for a while longer until he stood and looked at the crest once more. "The name I'll carry to the grave huh." He turned and walked towards the hotel, his eyes gaining back a bit of life as he slid the medallion into his pocket. He looked at the mask in his other hand and slid it back on. "The last of the Arc lineage." He walked through the darkened streets, his eyes focusing only on what was in front of him. "I'll take Vale back if its the last thing I do." His slow walk was now a full out run as his jacket flowed behind him in the dark of the night.

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><p>There's chapter 3 Hope you enjoyed.<p> 


	4. Welcome Home

A/N: May the creator of RWBY and DDR God Monty rest in peace but this fan-base shouldn't drop their ideas and creations because someone's body gives out. Don't let the flames die out. Instead let them burn brighter and let them burn hotter! This is the epitome of being a fan, to take one person's work and molding it into something you believe would be just as amazing as the original.

TL; DR: Let the man sleep. We know its too soon but y'know what, let's take up where he left off.

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><p>Chp. 4 – Welcome Home<p>

Yang sighed as she gently set Ruby down on the bed and caressed her cheek before walking into the kitchen. She looked outside and noticed the moon was out. "Damn I spent all day hanging out with Ruby that I left Lin hanging." She shrugged and decided to go to the fridge where she saw a few of the things she needed. She looked around and noticed the cupboard which she opened and grinned as she pulled out different things. The blonde yawned as she began to mix things together into a dough which she then put down on a metal sheet that she slid into the oven. "Alright. Hopefully they come out like Mom used to make em."

As she waited for her cookies to cook she looked through her scroll and noticed something interesting. "Jaune what are you doing over there?" She continued to rummage through her scroll when a new message was sent out, this one was sent to everyone. _'To all Hunters, Huntresses, and White Fang members. A bullhead carrying sick and injured people from an Atlean ship will be landing in Vale within the next two hours. Asking for aid from any available person.' _ She looked over at Ruby who was sleeping peacefully. At least until she heard the oven beep.

Once Yang was about to open it, the crimson scythe wielder was waiting at the doorway. "Geez." She quickly pulled the tray out and grinned as she placed it down and pushed her sister out of the kitchen. "Alright so those need to cool down. Meanwhile we're on duty Ruby." Her eyes scanned the young girl who nodded as she readied herself with a black and red dress which had a slot in the back where she kept her scythe. Around her neck was a red cloak which she put on and slid the hood over her head.

Yang on the other hand got into her standard clothing, a vest, tank top, shorts, long boots, and her coat. She slid the hood over her head and made sure her hair was hidden from sight. Once the duo were ready, she heard the sounds of crunching. She stared at her sister with a raised eyebrow who quickly devoured the rest of the sweets and drained a glass of milk. "You never changed." The sisters smiled as they left the house and headed towards the landing bay.

At the docking bay waited Linzer, Cardin, Velvet, Sky and a large man who wore layered armor on his arm and on different parts of his body. They waited until two bullheads appeared. One contained members of the white fang who brought out medical equipment for the sick and food for the potentially malnourished passengers.

The group of four walked towards the White fang who nodded at their arrival at least until the sound of a motorcycle caught everyone's attention. Both Queen and Ruby stepped off and walked over to Linzer who was chuckling at their sudden appearance. "Now to see how many people ended up here." When the second Bullhead opened, people stumbled out causing everyone to run over and help them one at a time. The large man carried a man who had been stabbed and was suffering an infection from the poor treatment.

Cardin helped a few people out and led them to the medical teams that were brought in by the fang. Velvet rushed to those who could barely move and began to heal them using her skills which were near the level of a very experienced doctor. Yang and Ruby were escorting those who were healthier to an area where they would be taken care of shortly.

Linzer looked for people who had high fevers and helped them remain stable by using his ability to produce ice. Everything was in perfect motion almost like a machine. The momentum soon slowed as the more heavily wounded or sick were the ones in need of more support which began to cause problems. The people were arguing among themselves which caused the large man to raise his sheath and slam it on the floor in order to catch everyone's attention. "Enough. You will all be seen but the critical must be cared for first." With those words, everyone calmed down and the people who needed help the most were able to get it.

The sounds of sirens caused those who weren't working on patients to look over as ambulances pulled up followed by other vehicles as a man wearing a black outfit walked towards the large group. "My apologies for taking so long friends." He signaled for the medics to go and help the others which alleviated the pressure that the white fang medics were under.

Linzer walked over and embraced the man before turning to his new recruits plus Queen and the large man. "Well then Qrow, what do you think?" The man looked at Ruby and chuckled as he looked at the others. He then stopped in front of Queen who was nervous on the inside as he may reveal her identity. "It's good to meet you again. Queen was it?" She nodded as the man passed her and looked at Ruby. "I'd rather you not join them but if he calls you a recruit then this decision is out of my reach." He then walked to Velvet, Sky and Cardin. "I see nothing but potential in you three."

The two left and let the new recruits mingle with their more experienced counterparts. Qrow followed Linzer who was overseeing the aid that was being given to the stranded Atlean passengers. The man was overlooking the progress being done then looked over at the blue haired man and nudged him. "So now both of my nieces are helping you." Linzer chuckled as he looked at the aging man. "Take care of them, they're all Taiyang and myself have left. Even if the world burns. Those girls are our lights. We'll give anything and everything to keep them with us." He turned and left leaving the hunter with his thoughts.

The large man who introduced himself as Yatsuhashi was talking with Velvet and Sky while Queen held a conversation with Ruby and Cardin. "Great job there Velvet. Your skills helped a lot of those who were critically injured." The rabbit Faunus blushed as she gave a quick bow. "Sky was it?" The man nodded allowing the large man to speak once more. "You really are fast on your feet Sky. Escorting people that effectively will be an asset for scouting and escorting." The blue haired man gave a small bow as well. "Any questions for myself?"

Velvet raised her hand causing the man to chuckle. "H-how often do you f-fight?" He thought about it then sat down on the ground. "We fight depending on the situation." He opened his scroll and revealed a map. "If we're in areas that are marked in red, the danger is higher and there are more fights in store for us." He shifted the map to another location. "Green areas are either neutralized or close to being neutralized. An example would be Dorme." He made the portion of the map depicting Dorme larger. "The city is mainly green but if you notice there's a mall section that's highlighted in a dark red. That means that there's a nest there and that means there will be nothing but fighting there." The final area he showed was the city of Vale. "Any area fully green with a light blue outline means a safe zone. No Grimm and a barrier is up. Zero chance of facing off against anything."

Sky decided to ask a question next and this one caught Yatsuhashi's attention. "Who will be training us? I mean Linzer doesn't have the time to train us all does he?" The swordsman nodded in agreement as he closed his scroll and whistled. Everyone walked over to the large man and sat around him with the exception of Queen who simply had her arms crossed under her bust while watching. "As far as that goes, there are plenty of high ranking hunters who teach the younger ones how to properly handle their abilities." He rested his blade across his lap and folded his hands over it. "I trained alongside a man I've grown to respect a lot. He calls himself Knight." Queen quickly turned and laughed silently as he continued speaking. "He trained with Linzer for ten years now and he's proven himself time and time again. Even our Queen over here learned from him." She stiffened as everyone nodded. "We have plenty of connections as well. If you don't want to fight then we can keep you as a medic who can care for the weary." Everyone nodded as he stood up and placed his blade back on his back. "Just keep an eye out for someone that can take you under their wing. For now you're all dismissed."

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><p>Knight laid in bed as he waited for any form of mission from anyone at least until his scroll beeped. He looked at it and sighed as he read the report from Vale. <em>'Bullhead with travelers from Atlas and Mistral lands in Vale. Riders taken care of and being helped by the hospitals in Vale as well as medics from the white fang. This comes from a successful mission to Port Amir where the hunter Knight as well as a team from the white fang were able to subdue the Grimm and take control of the port.' <em>He chuckled as he sat up and looked at the dresser where his mask was resting.

He stood and walked over to the closet which was open. He looked through the clothing and noticed a hoody that was black on the outside and orange on the inside. He quickly removed his armor and tossed it onto the bed before sliding the sweater on which fit him just right. He looked around and found his belt which had the slot for his sheath. He slid it on and then went on to fasten his armor on top. "Doesn't look too bad." He slid his sheath into the slot on his belt and then walked to the dresser where he picked up his mask and slid it on. He turned and quickly left the room while sliding his hood up.

He took his time walking through the city, looking at the damage left behind by both the attack and evacuation. The buildings looked fine but just needed to be cleaned up. He then walked back towards the pier which was fairly well maintained even if there was no one around. Once he made it there he looked up at the large ship which had claw marks on the sides. Most likely from when the Grimm attacked it. "Those things were rather annoying." He turned and saw Ren walking towards him. "Knight I presume?" The blonde nodded and turned to face the magenta eyed man. "I've heard a lot about you. Some things seemed a bit over exaggerated." Two weapons slid out from his sleeves and rested in his hands as he readied himself. "But then again. I don't know why a dead man lives."

Knight chuckled as he drew his sword and got into his one handed stance. "I can guess your last name is Lie." The man nodded causing the swordsman to grin as he charged forward. "I've always wanted to spar with an aura master." The two clashed, their weapons scraping against each other before Ren caused the blade to surge forward. Using the momentum, he pointed his weapon and was about to pull the trigger when the point of the blade was at his neck. "A stand still?" The magenta eyed man chuckled as he stepped back.

The two put their weapons away and walked through the port while talking of things like the retaking of Vale from the Grimm. "We've almost finished taking back Dorme. From there we'll be securing Amir and resetting the dust barriers." Ren nodded as he listened to the knight speak more about the operations that were taking place. "For now we focus on keeping Amir standing. How are things on your end?"

The gunner sighed as he rubbed his temples. "Nobles and aristocrats are something I never want to deal with again." The knight raised an eyebrow and continued to listen to the man speak while they continued their stroll. "The rich ones are complaining about the rationing of the supplies. Pyrrha on the other hand is doing a good job keeping the fools in line." He kicked a rock into the water and watched it splash while standing at the end of the port. "They tried to kill the injured. Those who were hurt defending them." He clenched his fists and turned to Knight. "Your appearance brought hope but it also brought the harsh reality we were too blind to see. Vale has fallen and soon the other kingdoms will too."

"I understand how you feel Ren. That's how I feel every day but the difference between you and me is rather simple." The gunner looked at the knight as he turned and looked at the burned logs near the port. "I'm not just willing to live this life. I'm willing to die for it." He turned and left leaving the aura user to his own thoughts. He turned back to the water and chuckled. "Willing to die for this life. Interesting."

Blake sat atop the tallest point in the town as she thought about last night's events. "I wonder. If I could help him." She closed her eyes as she remembered his name. Jaune Arc, the name of a supposed dead man, was now the face of the army that would eradicate the Grimm and return the balance to Vale. Thinking about his words caused her to think about her own experiences.

_A younger Blake walked through the halls of a large house, her weapon drawn as she looked for the person who had broken in. She continued walking and encountered a large wooden door which she silently slid open. Her eyes widened as a man was attempting to attack a girl with white hair. She screamed as she struggled against her attacker at least until he flung her into a table which cut into the right side of her face. Blake quickly sprang into action as she charged and swung her weapon at the man who parried her attack with ease._

_She grit her teeth and continued to press the man who was avoiding her attacks and countering her moves all while moving closer to the white haired girl. The Faunus growled as she disappeared in a flash and reappeared behind the man who she cut down before landing on her feet. She walked over to the girl and offered her a hand when she knocked it away and started screaming at her. She continued until a man with white hair walked in and looked at the scene. He grabbed the Faunus by the arm and had her dragged to the main corridor of the mansion where she was forced on her knees._

_The fear in her eyes caused the man to laugh as he snapped his fingers causing another man to walk in with a whip in hand. He spun the dreaded thing and snapped it in the air causing the girl to whimper. "That's right. I paid for you to guard my daughter and what do you do? You fail me and let her get hurt!" The sound of the whip cracking caused her to close her eyes at least until a sudden rush of pain caused her to scream. "A prodigy they said. A great fighter they said. You are nothing but a failure!" The whip cracked over and over again._

_Her body was racked with pain as her voice had finally left her. Only small whimpers would leave her from time to time as the blood from her back dripped onto the floor. She whispered apologies as she curled up into a ball and wept._

_The next day she was tended by the nurses and was released back into duty where she stood by the girl's door once again. She had her head down in a dignified manner until she heard her owner call her. Once she stepped into the room she watched as the girl would scold and reprimand her for all of her supposed wrongs. Her eyes slowly lost their curious glow day by day as the tasks grew more strenuous._

_Being forced to hear her ranting about the inferiority of the Faunus, being treated like a pack mule then being punished when she accidentally dropped something. The stranglehold the people had on her felt like she would lose energy by simply being near them. Her training and conditioning fought back, fought back the urge to rebel, to inflict harm and be rid of her torturers._

_A month had passed since the incident involving the intruder and she was told to accompany the higher ranking guards back to the room where they had their meeting. They needed help with something only she could do they said. Once she stepped in, her eyes widened as the men pushed her into a wall causing her to grunt in pain. "Come now kitty just let your masters play with you." She struggled as they attempted to slide her clothing off piece by piece. She whimpered as she was against the wall stark naked with tears streaming down her face._

_The men simply licked their lips as they slowly walked towards her when something inside of her snapped. All of her pent up frustrations were released as she charged at the men and began to attack them. She cried out as she reached for the nearest item and bludgeoned one man then turned and stabbed the other with a knife that had fallen on the floor. She stood there naked, covered in blood and dead inside as she walked over to her clothing and put it back on her body. She then looked at the camera in the room and gave it an empty smile as she disappeared from sight. _

_The sounds of sirens and people searching for the escaped Faunus caused her to double her efforts as she nearly made it to the gate where she jumped up and crossed the wall. She continued to run as fast as she could while escaping that horrendous place. 'I will never respect the Schnees and I will never forgive them.' She winced as she slid down a hill and crashed at the bottom where she finally decided to stay put._

The sound of her name being called out caused the woman to look around when she finally noticed that Jaune was calling out to her. She noticed the new look and sighed as she jumped down and landed in front of him. She shook her head and fixed her cloak with a small smile as she walked with him. The knight looked at his scroll and grinned as he handed it to her. "The bullhead's back. We can send in the second round of refugees." The Faunus nodded but there was something bothering her. "It's too quiet Jaune. Something isn't right" The blonde nodded and they jogged back to the stranded ship where Ren and some others were having a heated argument.

"We get to go next right Lie?" The man called out causing the green clad gunner to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We're more important than those plebs! Let us on the ship first so we can get out of this Dust forsaken hell hole!" Ren simply walked past the man and walked over to a group of people composed of parents, non-combatants and children. "You're letting THEM go first?!" The magenta eyed man simply took a couple of steps forward and grabbed the man by the collar.

"Yes. They. Are." The man swallowed and backed off as he rallied the people towards the ship which was ready to take off. "Alright two at a time! Be careful." He smiled as all of the people began walking only to be stopped by a group of people with weapons drawn. "We will be leaving next you foolish boy!" The group quickly ran into the ship and hit the button making the docking bay door close followed by the airship taking off. His eyes widened as he grit his teeth and turned to the people he was leading. "I'm sorry but please go back to the boat and wait." He saw the people look at him in despair but he gave them a warm smile as he knelt down to a young boy and grabbed his hand. "I'll do my best to get you all out. I promise." The people nodded as they quickly got back to the ship. The boy nodded and followed the group that was entering the boat.

Jaune ran over and noticed the group that was heading back to the boat. "What happened? I thought the non-combatants and children were being taken back first." The gunner walked past the knight and muttered something about useless aristocrats. "Damn. This won't do if we don't have more communication." Everything changed quickly as the sounds of a loud bang caused everyone to turn in the direction the bullhead went. "We're under attack! Everyone available for battle get ready!" Pyrrha quickly ran over and was about to say something when she quickly raised her spear and shifted it into its rifle form. She took a deep breath then fired a quick shot which took out a Beowolf followed by taking down an Ursa.

The group began to strategize when Jaune suggested something that caught onto Ren's bad side. "We send a team to clear out the Grimm by the ship and get it out. The rest of the fighters can stay here and defend. As long as the boat doesn't sink we'll be fine." The gunner quickly rebutted with another plan. "How about we leave the ship and just keep our forces here. We need to keep Amir as a base while we find a way to evacuate." He pointed towards the town and glared at the knight. "If we send your team to do what you want them to then we lose the city."

Jaune rubbed his temples and crossed his arms. "If we lose the bullhead then there goes our chance at safely evacuating the non-combatants." He pointed at the boat and looked at the gunner. "They won't survive multiple attacks since we're bound to lose people during each invasion. We need to secure their escape and the bullhead is essential."

Ren rebutted once more but this time he had a dark tone. "The people on that ship are murderers. They killed our allies and for what? More rations?" He was about to reach out to the knight but Nora held onto his arm receiving a thankful nod from the blonde. "They deserve whatever the Grimm do to them and your allies will be able to escape easily since they're trained to stay mobile for long periods of time." He watched Jaune deliberate and sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can always ask for another bullhead and that won't take more than a few days to arrive."

Pyrrha rubbed her chin as she looked at the options then looked over at the Faunus who seemed to be contemplating as well. "We need a decision. Since Knight knows the surrounding area I think the decision should be done by him." She looked over at Blake who nodded with her suggestion. "Well we need a choice. Do we save the ship or hold the city?"

"Save the ship."

"Abandon it."

The two glared at each other but another loud bang caused the two to look over at Pyrrha who was firing shot after shot at the incoming Grimm. "Do you understand what it means to save them?!" Ren simply walked over to the knight and literally butted heads with him. "It means we waste valuable time and resources saving people who've done nothing but kept us from doing our jobs!" The knight pressed his head against the gunner's and returned the glare.

"We lose the bullhead then we lose any chance of a safe passage for the people you're trying so hard to look out for." Jaune then pointed at the small cloud of smoke beginning to arise from the crash site. "The longer we wait then we lose not only the bullhead but the people that are on it. We lose members of our team that are risking their lives to help YOU." He grabbed the gunner's shirt and pushed him back a bit before picking him up. "You need to think with your head."

Ren pushed him back and pointed at the Grimm Pyrrha was shooting at. "We won't hold if you send everyone." He then pointed to the boat. "The people on that boat which were supposed to be on that bullhead are going to die if you send everyone to rescue a few rich people who bullied their way into the damn ship."

Their argument was beginning to allow the creatures to push in when they heard the gladiator call them out. "Ren! Knight! Enough! Think of a plan and send us wherever we need to go!" She shifted her spear and was about to attack the Grimm when both hunters stopped her. "You better hurry. I just got the ping from the people on the ship."

The situation caused the swordsman to grit his teeth. "How bout this Ren. I'll stay here along with you and the rest of the fighters you have on that ship." The gunner was liking the idea so far at least until he heard the next part. "Blake, Nora and Pyrrha can go after the ship and save it with the help of the rest of the white fang team she has." The three women nodded as they readied themselves and ran off towards the crash site.

The gunner and swordsman on the other hand simply stood in silence as they waited for the wave of Grimm to come for them. Jaune cleared his throat and readied his sword. "Can you handle this?" The gunner chuckled as he readied his stormflower and got into his fighting stance. A second later, the horde arrived. The knight simply dashed forward and began to cut down enemy after enemy with relative ease while the gunner fired volley after volley of dust rounds into the group.

The blonde ducked a swipe from a beowolf claw then grinned as he spun and slammed his hilt into the torso of the beast knocking it into a group. Noticing the growing number of Grimm, he sighed and focused while Ren continued whittling down the weaker Grimm with his weapons. Other fighters charged and attacked the beasts with all kinds of weapons. Noticing the effort everyone was putting forth, he went in and used everything at his disposal to keep the monsters from advancing.

The people watched as the knight went through each enemy with a precise cut to a vital area before moving on the next one. The speed at which the Grimm fell was enough to rally the rest of the fighters to charge into battle while the ship was left with the most experienced of them. The gunner charged with his bladed gun and began a precision slaughter of his own. The two hunters moving in sync cut through a majority of the Grimm while the rest took on any stragglers.

Blake, Pyrrha and Nora were running towards the downed ship when they noticed a group of large Grimm attacking it. The red head grit her teeth as she ran ahead and readied both her shield and spear. She crashed into one of the large lion-type Grimm which had its attention on the bullhead. "Get those Nemian Lions out of there! If they get any closer they'll tear the ship apart!" The rest nodded as they each charged at one of the beasts and knocked them away. The lions growled as they circled their opponent, attracting the attention of the rest of the Grimm. "Good luck." The red head called out as she charged forward and swung at the lion which simply jumped to the side.

It reared its head back with the intent to bite the gladiator when she side stepped and swung her spear, sinking its blade into the side of its neck. She looked at the weakened beast which began roaring and causing the surrounding Grimm to attack her at once. Her eyes widened and she quickly dove out of the group. Once she was away from the center she charged forward and fought the beasts.

Nora was having an easier time handling the horde as every time they rushed her, she simply flung them back into their group taking out two or three at a time. She giggled as she slammed her hammer down and launched herself into the air. "Bye bye!" She twisted her body mid-air and slammed her weapon down causing all of the beasts to get launched upwards including the lion. Once she found her target she ran forward and slammed her weapon down causing it to crash into the ground with a bang.

She looked around and noticed the beasts were moving cautiously which actually worried her a bit. Grimm weren't exactly intelligent were they? She carefully analyzed the enemies which rushed her at once. Her eyes widened as she slammed Magnhild into the ground once more and launched herself out of harm's way. Once she landed, the orange headed girl ran forward and unleashed a war cry while charging at the horde of Grimm.

Using the distraction that Pyrrha and Nora had caused, Blake quickly had the rest of her team split up and help them out. She on the other hand snuck over to the ship where she saw Adam and the pilot fending off a many of the beasts as possible while keeping strays from breaking the docking hatch. She quickly drew Gambol Shroud and ran forward while slicing down any Grimm in her way. Her body became a blur as she gained speed and continued slicing down all the beasts around her. She then stopped and noticed Adam had finished up the last of the Grimm that were an immediate threat. He simply nodded as the pilot went back to fixing the issue with the ship. "Aha! That damn lion managed to knock this out of place." He grabbed a couple of wires and put them back together where they belonged. "Alright! This bird should be mobile now." The red head and Blake nodded as the pilot followed by Adam entered the ship and took off once again.

With the ship in the air again, Blake decided to give some more help to the gladiator and hammerer. What she saw caused her eyes to widen. Only a few members of her team were left standing while the rest were down. She looked around and noticed both Pyrrha and Nora unconscious on the ground. "What happened?" She ran over to some of the downed members and noticed that they were put to sleep. "Two dead, the rest out cold." The two that were still up walked over to her but the feeling of something harp piercing her neck caused her to knock them away.

"Damn too shallow." The cloaked person removed it revealing a set of rather rugged armor that had seen better days. "I woulda had a nice lil' set of Faunus to take back to the slavers." He aimed a crossbow at Blake and smirked. "I can still make something out of nothing though." He pulled the trigger but before the bolt could hit her, she ran her sword through his stomach. "Urgh. You little."

She pulled the blade out and was about to finish him when the second figure injected something into her neck. Hey eyes widened as she felt her body go numb. She grit her teeth as her blade fell from her hand and crashed into the ground. Her eyes started to close but she refused to close them as she fought to stay awake. "Impressive. You're able to fight off the anesthetic really well. Maybe I should have gone to a straight up sleeping drug." He paced around her and watched her struggle to fight off the effects of the pain killer. "Let it consume you Blake. It's not like this is a new concept to you. I've seen you do it."

Blake glared at the man and with the little strength she had left she hit a button on her scroll which caused her to smirk at the man. "Marcus y-you had. Ngh Our t-trust." She fell down to one knee and winced as she tried to steady her breathing only to notice that her body was mostly numb from the drug. "Y-you traitor." He knelt down and lifted her head up so she looked him in the eye.

"I am only looking out for me and my own. If selling out the white fang will save me from whatever horrible things may happen." He gave her a light slap with a sad smile. "Then I will." He then injected her with a second dose which caused her to collapse on the floor. A few minutes later, a large truck pulled up and opened its doors revealing people who were similarly dressed as the stabbed man. "The Faunus are the ones in the cloaks, the two over there are from overseas. They might sell at a high price especially if they're unused."

The leader of the men nodded as he directed the others to carry the unconscious Faunus onto the truck. Marcus stood with his hands in his pockets as they loaded each person but he sighed and walked over to the two hunters which were knocked out as well. He knelt down and was staring at their sleeping faces before two people picked them up and carried them into the truck. The last one left was Blake and she was being picked up at least until an arrow with a dust crystal for an arrow head pierced the ground causing everyone to scatter.

Seconds later, a hail of arrows caused the men to run into the truck in order to avoid being run through. Marcus grit his teeth as he knew who the one who was firing them. "Knight." A blur caused his eyes to widen as he was launched in the opposite way dropping the Faunus which he caught and gently set down on the ground. "At your service." The two circled each other when the two collided, their blades causing sparks as the two swords scraping against each other. The other men charged as well but a gunshot stopped the man cold as he collapsed, no longer alive. Ren shot each man that charged at him until he reached the leader who was using his aura to stop the bullets.

Ren placed his guns into his sleeves and entered a hand to hand stance which the man mimicked. "Return Nora and Pyrrha." The man laughed as he and the gunner exchanged hits. He laughed as they caught each other's fist then followed up with moves that were exactly the same. The two separated and staggered back but Ren quickly took advantage and pulled out one of his bladed guns which cut the man across the face with ease. He screamed as he staggered back which the fighter took as an advantage. He landed two swift strikes to the body then followed up with a heavy palm strike to his jaw.

The two were separated once again when they rushed at each other. This time the leader grinned as he grabbed the fighter's wrist and twisted it behind his back causing it to crack. The aura master grit his teeth as he slammed his foot down causing the man to let go. The fighter decided to press his advantage and jumped forward, grabbing the man's leg. He quickly pulled it out from under him and pinned him down. He silently pointed his gun at the man's head and pulled the trigger. "I gave you a chance. You should have taken it." He walked over to the truck and noticed that everyone was still there. When his eyes fell on Nora he smiled and let go of the breath he had been holding.

Jaune on the other hand was struggling to keep his opponent down as he continued to get back up whenever he had taken severe damage. The two seemed to be matched as they continued to stop each other's attempts at taking the advantage. After a few minutes both simply stared at each other when they heard a gunshot. The split he gained, he used as he thrust his blade towards Marcus' side as he grit his teeth and was knocked away. The man glared at them and was about to run when a loud bang caused him to look down at his chest where a bullet had pierced.

The man collapsed and the gunner proceeded to finish off the incapacitated man that was on the ground. Jaune walked over to Blake and picked her up with ease as he gently placed her into the vehicle before closing the doors. Ren turned to the truck and climbed into the driver's seat. Jaune followed him and jumped into the passenger seat. He sat in an eerie silence as he watched the magenta eyed man drive back to Amir.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed, I do apologize for the jumping around and I do promise it will become more stable in the future but for now bear with it. Thank you.<p> 


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